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Stephanie Taylor Studio
916-996-9960
Scale in the architectural environment has always fascinated me. I began my career as an advertising art director, including billboards, in image driven Los Angeles. Since 1977, I have created site specific, publicly placed paintings and sculpture, as a full time professional, for major private and public sector institutions. With a degree in History from UCLA, my focus was on the role of location and connection to the past in contemporary society, often reflecting my heritage as a fourth generation Californian.
My first interests were in abstracted architecture, and then, after my Amelia Earhart mural in 1991, the human figure and how people relate to each other. In both my public and private work, I thought of myself as a visual historian, both representational and as narrative. Since returning to Sacramento in 1984, I have maintained a consistent solo and group exhibition schedule, showing work that is driven, not by location, but by internal interests.
Increasingly, my work has come off the wall, starting with a 60 foot mural at Jack London Square in Oakland, 1996. I needed to compel people to become more engaged in the murals and to accomplish this, I added ceramic elements to the 2D mural. Viewer engagement is a driving impetus in my work. Curiosity also drives me, and I want to inspire this in the viewer as well.
By 2003, I needed to step out of a well-accomplished comfort zone. Aside from art school at night in LA, I was primarily a self-taught artist. I returned to school to study art full time. I had been a Philosophy major at UCLA for a time, and with a pivotal trip to London that year, a renewed interest in theory flared. I spent the next three years focusing on issues and practice, making objects and exploring my personal response to the world, independent of location and representation.
My work has strengthened in several ways. It has broadened my perspectives regarding the relevance of art in the urban environment and has given me a renewed commitment to creating art in an increasingly inclusive, postmodern world. It has taken me beyond narrative representation into a world where I can create my own fantasy, in more expressive materials, from clay to steel. It has also reminded me of my keen interest in environmental issues which began in 1994 with my first recycled and found object sculpture.
I was never interested in concepts of beauty. Recently, I have been able to acknowledge a deep sense of design and with my obligation as an artist, the idea of beauty now seems increasingly worthy of pursuit in our contemporary world.
in both objects and architectural installations in addition to steel and clay.
Solo:
2006 Progressive Dissonance, Else Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1996 Figures, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1993 Perspective: Ordinary People/Ordinary Places, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA.
1988 Sterling Gallery, Napa Valley, CA
1986 Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1985 Rara Avis Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Group:
2007 "Move On," Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento CA
2006 Small Treasures, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2006 Moving to Midtown, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Progressive Dissonance, Library Gallery, CSUS, Sacramento, CA
2004 College Bowl, Sakata Garo Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2003 Clay Connections, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2002 A Horse is a Horse, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2001 Drawn to the Figure, 11 Artists, 1 model, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Tenth Anniversary Exhibition: Looking Beyond 1991-2001, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
2000 Masque Parade, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1999 Big Kids Toy Box III, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1998 Downtown Market Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1997 Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1994 Paintings & Drawings, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1990 Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1988 Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Education:
2003-2006 California State University Sacramento, Masters of Arts,
Sculpture, May 2006
1974-77 UCLA, B.A. in History, emphasis, Political Philosophy
Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles
1968-69 Chouinard (now Cal Arts), Los Angeles, California
Arts employment:
1977-presentStephanie Taylor Studio, est. Los Angeles area, 1977-83, Sacramento-1984-present.
1967-72 Advertising Art Director and Print Production for full service agencies,
Los Angeles
International
Disneyland Hotel, Paris, France
Nittettso Shoji Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
National
Bally's Casino, Las Vegas, NV
City Hall, Indian Wells, CA
Crown Plaza, New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA
Disney Institute, Orlando, FL
Grand Floridian Beach Resort, Orlando, FL
Harvey's Resort, South Lake Tahoe, NV
Hilton Hotel, New Orleans
Hyatt Hotel, Atlanta
Sheraton Resort, Tucson, AZ
California
Bel Air Bay Club, Santa Monica, CA
California Association of Realtors, Los Angeles
City Hall, City of Los Angeles, CA
Columbia Pictures, Los Angeles, CA
Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, CA
First Interstate Bank Branches, Southern California
Fluor Corporation, Irvine
Hilton Hotels in Oakland, San Francisco, , Los Angeles
Hyatt Hotels in Sacramento, Los Angeles
Rancho Bernardo Inn, Rancho Bernardo, CA
Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, CA
Scripp's College, Claremont, CA
Six Flags Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Stephan Cannell Productions, Los Angeles, CA
Texaco Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Transcon Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
UC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
United California Bank branches, Southern California
Waterfront Plaza, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA
Wells Fargo Bank, Los Angeles, CA
Xerox Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Sacramento
Beer's Books, Sacramento- Jack London Mural, 2005
California Association of Realtors, Sacramento, CA
California Exposition and State Fair, CA
California State Library Foundation, CA
California State Railroad Museum, CA
City of North Sacramento, CA
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
Fisher Properties: Mural "Community," Sacramento, 2005
Raley's Corporation, West Sacramento, CA
Hyatt Hotels in Atlanta, Sacramento, Los Angeles, CA
Marriott Hotel, Washington D.C
Sacramento Public Library, CA
California State University, Sacramento, Library Breezeway Project
Sutter Club, Sacramento, CA
Sutter Medical Centers, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Antioch, CA
UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
Vision Service Plan, Sacramento, CA
Water Education Foundation, Sacramento, CA
Public Art Projects:
Finalist, Sacramento City Hall, in two areas, Sacto Metro Arts Commission, CA
Finalist, Alhambra Water Reservoir, Sacto Metro Arts Commission, CA
North Sacramento Sculpture Concept & Project, Del Paso Blvd, CA
Sculpture Project, Earth Day, Capitol Grounds, Sacramento, CA
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment, proposal to paint Del Paso Blvd, CA
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment, proposal for urban park
California Department of Transportation, Headquarters, Sacramento, CA
City of Manhattan Beach Arts Commission, CA
City of Manhattan Beach Mural Project, CA
Awards:
2005Increase Robinson Memorial Fellowship, CSUS
2000Architectural Achievement DigitalCity.com, Best Public Art
Best Public Art Sacramento Old City Association
1991Sacramento Magazine's "Best Mural"
1972Best of the West, advertising art direction
LA Art Directors, Best of Show, art direction
Publications and Films:
2006 Sactown Magazine, Design Competition
2005 Sacramento Bee
2004 Sacramento Bee
2003 Ceramics Art and Perception, Australia
American Craft Magazine
Sacramento Bee
2002 Sacramento Bee
2001 Feature film, Los Angels
1990's San Francisco Hilton Murals, mini documentary
PBS short film Arts Alive
Wall Street Journal, Top Ten Hotel Properties
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Magazine
Sacramento Bee, art review, 1993
Sacramento Business Journal
Sacramento Union
1980's Design International Magazine
Designer's West Magazine
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Herald Examiner
Sacramento Bee, art review, 1985
Kodak's More Joy of Photography
Sacramento Business Journal
German Art Calendar of International Murals
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Herald Examiner